Last week I was kindly invited by Jeff Griffin from Griffin Studio to a fabulous event in West London.
"Rags to riches" was a collective event created by artists and fashion designers to support and promote enterprise within some of Brazil's most vulnerable communities.
"Ephemeral Brazil" is a charity founded by Ms.Cristina Carneiro de Mendonça. She is an international millinery designer, under the label "Cristina Eastwood". She is an amazing lady, which I had the immense pleasure to meet.
Inspired by the passion, resourcefulness and eye for design of the female artisan rubbish collectors of the slums of Rio de Janeiro, Ephemeral Brazil works alongside poor communities supporting them with education and training as well as providing them with security and sustainable employment. How amazing.
Cristina was absolutely lovely and with much pleasure she explained to me how the charity was founded and how the women and communities in Brazil are being benefited from it. She was telling me some pretty incredible stories of how these pieces exist only because of the strength of spirit, grim determination, passion and creativity of a group of unbelievable women and coming from Brazil myself, I sympathise with the cause.
All these fantastic pieces are created from 100% recyclable materials, such as plastic bottles, newspapers, papier mache, fabric remnants, aluminum cans and their ring pulls, even used coffee filters!
Just like that, with lot of creativity and talent we have these unique pieces:
Made of recyclable remnants of fabric, this rosettes, or 'fuxicos' as we call in Brazil are just so cute. This bag is totally adorable!!
Deborah and Stephanie modelling the gorgeous headpieces and bags, one is made of fabric and the black one is newspaper! OH!
It amazes me the creativity these women have. Those bags are made of plastic bottles and crochet.
I love those bags!
Ready for the masquerade ball...
For further information visit: www.ephemeralbrazil.com